America's Physicians Attack Patient Choice

"Convenient clinics" are an important innovation in American health care.  These clinics, usually staffed by nurse practitioners, and located in retail environments, treat all comers, whether insured or not, for the same, transparent, posted price.

Unfortunately, success also has its price.  In this case, it's levied by the American Medical Association, which doesn't want patients to have the choice of attending these clinics.  The AMA's self-serving, turf-protecting press release is here.

The AMA is shocked..... shocked..... to learn that when these clinics are located in pharmacies, patients who receive a prescription fron a clinic might choose to fill it at that pharmacy.  Conflict of interest, cries the AMA!  More like "convenience", I suspect many patients would say.

I suppose that's how these "convenient clinics" got their name.

(Of course, we never hear the AMA complain about physicians who upcharge Medicare or insurers, or happily take the spread offered by drugmakers to ensure patients get access to the best oncology drugs.....but that's another post for another day.)